Patient Donor Contact

Can patients and donors contact each other?

The relationship between a patient and a donor is a special one. Often the patient and donor are interested in meeting one another and would like to get to know more about each other. Patients often would like to express their thanks to the donor, and many donors would like to know how the patient is doing after the transplantation. In many countries it is possible for the patient and donor to contact one another. There are two types of contact:

Anonymous contact by letter or card:
Cards and letters are forwarded from the patient to the donor by the transplantation centre and the ZKRD, and correspondence from the donor is forwarded by the donor center. Anonymous contact is often possible immediately after transplantation has taken place. Further information has been compiled for you in a handout.

Direct, personal contact:
In many countries, including Germany, it is possible for the patient and donor to get to know each other personally. In some countries, before the patient and donor can meet personally, regular anonymous written contact must take place. Personal contact can only be arranged, however, if both the patient and the donor explicitly agree, and if it has been more than two years since the transplantation. For various reasons sometimes difficulties can arise when organizing such a meeting, and it must be initiated very carefully. And naturally neither the patient nor the donor is required to agree to meet the other person.

If and what type of contact is possible depends on the countries that the patient and donor reside in. We would be happy to inform you of the possibilities and the specific procedure for initiating contact.